Is Huygens' Principle Intuitive or Just Mathematical?

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Huygens' Principle is often viewed as non-intuitive, leading to confusion among learners seeking clarity without delving into mathematics. Many users express frustration with existing resources like YouTube and Wikipedia, which fail to provide satisfactory explanations. The principle suggests that every point on a wavefront acts as a secondary source of waves, though this is more of an analytical tool than a literal truth. Some participants argue that while it may not perfectly represent reality, it serves as a valuable framework for understanding wave propagation. Overall, there is a call for clearer, more intuitive resources to explain Huygens' Principle effectively.
Pranav Jha
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I cannot make heads or tails of Huygen's principle? I find it very non-intuitive. I've already checked tons of youtube videos but haven't come across a proper explanation. Wikipedia wasn't of much help either.
So could anyone please make this principle clear and make it more intuitive for me. Please do not go into the mathematics.
Was this principle a mere mathematical derivation or did Huygen use some physical (and thus more undertandable) concepts to formulate this principle?
a suggestion of any proper website that explains the principle clear would be more than welcomoe
please help!
 
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Hello Pranav,I don't think it should be taken literally that each point on a wavefront actually becomes a secondary source but that the wave progresses as if each point becomes a secondary source.Although the principle may lack somewhat in reality I think that Huyghens and his contemporaries devised a useful analytical tool.
 

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